The Spy Who Loved Me: Impossible Love
by SirenMist
Summary: The girls of Square Enix Agency are in over their heads when their assignments are to tag the assassin bad boys of RoD. Starcrossed lovers attempt to vanquish the bonds of treason and find a way to be together, which isn't easy when your lover's your hit. Written for One Hundred Words of Impossible Love challenge by Hawkrider. Namaxis, Sokai, Larxel, Vanshiku, Terqua - HIATUS!
1. Beginnings

**This is a repwrite of my previous story, The Spy Who Loved Me. This was done fro Hawkrider's One Hundred Themes of Impossible Love challenge.**

**Now, I'm going to put something all of you better pay attention to: NO FLAMES. Only con crit. Thank you!**

**This will have a companion story, because I plan to make an actual story - this is more drabblish - out of this, that follows more of the original plot line. **

* * *

_*Beginnings*_

_One Hundred Themes of Impossible Love_

_Hawrider Challenge_

_~SirenMist_

* * *

"Trust me," he said. And Terra had. Terra had always trusted Eraqus, even before he had joined the RoD infantry. Or, should Terra say, assassin-try.

Did he regret his choice? Maybe. Maybe, if pride would allow, Terra would sit alone in his room, well past the assigned 'lights out' and stare out his window, his solitary confinement a punishment of his own doing.

Maybe he regretted it.

It didn't matter, Terra decided in the dark, the black sky filled with diamond stars. The sky reminded him so much of those he had hurt, the blackness of their fading eyes, the last sparkling star in them vanquished. He felt a dull ache in his chest.

He had decided it was pity that drew him to his open window every night; that kept him up late with nightmares when he knew he should be attempting to sleep. He couldn't feel pity, for pity was a sign of weakness.

And weakness would get him killed. That was something he learned early in his life. Orphaned at a young age, Terra had wandered the streets, doing what he had to keep himself alive. It was fate that brought him to Eraqus – whether that be a good or bad thing, Terra was unsure – on a cold winter morning, when Terra felt the biting chill and the aching hunger more than ever. Winter had always been the worst.

Terra had felt fear then, one of the last times he'd ever experience that emotion, and cried. The man seemed wise, though, understanding the motives behind the criminal acts of the seven year old.

At the time, Terra's naivety had allowed him to make such a deal without thinking clearly. He agreed.

Oh, for the beginnings of an assassin, Terra had sure made a poor bargainer.

* * *

**I realize that the end is confusing. . Instead, I made it more of a mystery as to what Terra's mentioning at the end. That, however, shall be revealed in a later chapter!**

**Okay, so upon later inspection, I discovered that I'm a total doofus. It's a 300 count minumum, not maximum! Sorry about that, Hawkrider.**

**Review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Sorrow

**Okey-dokey, here's the next chappy! This is longer to make up for the my screw up :") Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_***Sorrow***_

"Maybe so," Aqua replied, her eyes cast down on the floor. In all honesty, the last thing she wanted was to accept this mission, for she had always been 'innocent' in one way or another.

In other words, she'd never killed anyone before. She'd never had Larxene's job, either, something she prided herself on, and planned on keeping that way. In her heart, she believed that she did the world good, going around and vanquishing evil.

"Maybe so?" Namine replied, her eyebrow raised in question and her ocean blue eyes wide.

Aqua smiled lightly and patted the silken hair on Namine's head affectionately. Aqua's eyes matched her little friends, both filled with a sort of sorrow. They both knew the inevitable.

Aqua had to agree. As captain of Square Enix Agency, she had a duty to not only her operatives, but her family, and lately both were in danger. If Aqua could keep her girls out of the line of fire, she would. Even if that meant sacrificing herself to the frontline.

"But what will we do when you're gone?" Namine asked, her face forlorn. She hugged Aqua's arm tightly, as if willing the maiden to stay. Namine had always thought of Aqua as her mother, even though her real mother worked within the agency. Aqua had been there for the child when her own mother had not.

"You'll survive," Aqua answered with a smile, but they both caught the double meaning. Standing up and heading for the door, Aqua whispered, "Good night."

Namine and Kairi, the twins of the group, came into the title rightfully as secret spies. Both of their parents were higher-ups in the program, running operations from a control room in the farthest reaches of the building. Aqua liked to think of Kairi as 'daddy's little princess', the apple of her father's eyes and shining star. If Kairi were to want for something, she'd receive it faster than Aqua could disable Class Major security unit, and Aqua currently held the agency record for that.

Namine, on the other hand, faded into the shadow of her strawberry haired twin, wishing in vain to glimpse a taste of the paradise Kairi spoke so fondly of. The thing that got Aqua the most, though, was that Namine contributed the most to their operations, her job being the profiler. Not only could Namine determine the character, motives, and actions of their subject, she could confuse them into believing anything, almost as though she were rewriting their memories.

Kairi wasn't useless by any means, though it was easy to think so while on a mission with her. Kairi often flirted while on the job and took things in stride. When it got down to it, though, Kairi could be professional and extremely dangerous. Her niche was disguises, being that she had enough practice with make-up and clothing. Kairi could effectively turn a Neanderthal into a pageant queen in less than ten minutes. Really, the girl could wield a mascara wand with all the grace of a martial artist. Aqua remembered with a grin the time that Kairi had gone from Strawberry Shortcake to a bigwig in the corporate world, breezing her way past security with a voice changer and crack of pink bubblegum. How she did it, Aqua would never know.

Xion, the twins' cousin, had a bit of a wild child streak. Kicked out of junior high for blowing up the chem. lab, she promptly appeared at the front desk of S.E.A., demanding that she be given an interview no matter what her age and history. Xion's past as a gymnast and martial artist had landed her alongside her cousins, all the way at the top. Aqua admired the kid's spunk and the way she wouldn't take crap from anyone. She was a heck of a hand to hand combatant, too.

Larxene, Aqua's second in command, was arguably the worst leader of the group, but, as she was the oldest, she had managed to dispute her way to right hand man. One might wonder why she was such a bad authority figure, but after further examination of her files, it wasn't hard to consider. The wild child streak in Larxene put Xion's to shame, as Larxene had been arrested at sixteen for flashing her trigonometry teacher for a higher grade. Larxene ended up flunking the class regardless.

After serving some time in a ladies' correctional facility, Larxene returned to the streets with a hunger for adventure burning brighter than ever. When Larxene had been caught up in a scandal with one of S.E.A.'s operatives - she had stolen one of the company cars, fully equipped with spy gear and top-secret data - the higher-ups had decided that Larxene would make an excellent addition to their spy team. After she flashed the president.

Larxene's record notwithstanding, she was awarded the role of espionage femme fatale, luring her hits in with her lewd ways, and seducing them into giving her the Intel she needed. As much as Aqua disliked Larxene's occupation, she had to admit that Larxene kicked butt and took names when it came down to doing her job.

And then there was Aqua. At age fourteen, Aqua ran away from her home, determined to start fresh in a better place. Never in a million years would she have thought that she'd be recruited as a spy, trained to infiltrate enemy territories, disable bombs, and plant bugs. Nevertheless, she wound up at S.E.A, captain of the élite spy unite, comprised of only girls.

Aqua opened the door to her room, the slight creak a familiar sound to her ears; it reminded her of the creak on her door where she had once lived. Aqua fumbled around for the light switch, flicking it once to illuminate the dark dorm. She moved toward her bed and picked up the file that had previously been lying atop her pillows.

Could she accept? The mission wasn't exactly asking her to kill anyone, but it still didn't mean that she like the orders given. As soon as the thought of declining passed through her mind, she killed it, dashing her hopes of refusal. For her girls, she would do it.

The thought itself filled her heart, mind, and soul with a terrible sorrow.

* * *

**Okay, tell me what you think! ... No, honestly, drop a review -_- Lol, jk! :)**


	3. Fun

**Okay, so here's the next chapter. Not sure if I like how it turned out, or if I wanted it to actually be 'fun'. Oh well, when you're an assassin, you're an assassin :D**

* * *

_*Fun*_

"Oh, joy," Axel muttered, flopping down on the leather couch in the boys' lounge. Terra cut his eyes at the redhead, silently asking, "What?"

"I got a new assignment," Axel clarified, waving around a manila folder like a maniac. "They decided I haven't 'trained' in the field enough to graduate."

"In other words, they don't think you've killed enough," Terra mumbled and then took a sip of the soda he had in his hands. He kept his cobalt eyes on his lap, wishing that he didn't have to watch his family go through this.

Axel nodded, and Terra couldn't tell if the man felt remorse or anticipation. Terra almost wished it was the latter, so that he could at least have peace of mind that Axel's actions didn't keep him up at night, as often they did Terra.

"You don't have to-"

"Hey guys!" a rambunctious voice cut in as the lounge door swung open. Roxas bounded into the room with a grin on his face. His eyes shone as though he knew a secret, but was dying to let it out. "Guess what?"

"What?" Terra asked, faking enthusiasm, for he could not summon true excitement after Axel's announcement.

The blue-eyed boy bit his lip for a second, believing that Axel and Terra were truly on the edge of their seats with suspense. Finally, Roxas blurted, "I got the firm to let us go on vacation!"

Terra's eyes actually widened at that; it was not often that the company let the boys out of their sights, or even gave them breaks. Terra inquired, "And Eraqus okayed this?"

Roxas nodded vigorously, his golden locks swinging with the motion. He replied, "Eraqus said that we needed a break, especially since he's giving Terra that huge mission coming up, you know, the one involving the runaway heiress and S.E.A."

Axel sat up quickly on the couch, his eyes narrowed. He turned to look at Terra, the brunette equally stunned. "Say what?"

Roxas's mouth dropped, and he stuttered, "I forgot I wasn't supposed to mention that."

Terra stood up and patted the young teen on the back, a fatherly smile on his face. "No prob, Roxas. I won't rat on you."

Roxas smiled a little, but then the true grin returned when he cried, "So are you ready to pack? It's time for some fun!"

Terra nodded, keep the smile on his face as though he truly felt the creases of his mouth upturned and his eyes crinkle. He'd become a master at expressions, especially when he tried to hide something.

As Roxas scampered out of the room, Axel turned to Terra. "Hey, Terra, you know that-"

"If I'm involved in a mission, it's never good for my target. I know." Terra left it at that, and Axel left to follow Roxas. Terra couldn't help the sinking feeling of guilt in his stomach.

As captain of the Higher Operations Team, Terra had a certain feeling of responsibility when it came to his boys. Being an assassin for The Realm of Darkness was something that Terra had agreed to, albeit unknowingly. However, Terra's lieutenant, Axel, had not joined of his own accord, at least not as an assassin. Axel's original role in the company was as an arsonist, starting fires mainly for distractions or creating bombs for breakouts. Slowly, though, Axel had moved up in levels of missions, going from arsonist, to artillery back-up. It seemed as though today, RoD had finally decided that Axel should become an assassin.

Terra felt a pang of remorse, wishing that he'd been able to save Axel from that fate. The two were like brothers, growing up and training together. Unfortunately, it seemed as though Axel had been predetermined to follow in Terra's footsteps.

But the innocence in Roxas, Terra decided, was the worst to come to terms with. Not long after Terra had turned fifteen, the bubbly blue-eyed boy became the newest addition to Terra's unit, accompanied by his cousin Sora, both of them age twelve. Roxas's role in the corporation had initially been just as a test subject, given that his parents' released him to RoD's science facility. Eraqus had pulled both Roxas and Sora out of treatment after discovering that the scientists had reduced the two to nothing more than a vegetable state, both boys comatose and lacking memory. The thought processes of the two had been tampered with, and upon wakening, neither could recall which memory was theirs and which was the other's.

Eraqus brought the boys to Terra, who had faithfully stayed by their sides and coached them back into a normal state of mind, Roxas and Sora gaining their true memories back after months of confusion. From then on, Terra was their big brother, looking out for them in every way he could. Though Terra could not prevent the inevitable - Roxas and Sora joining HOTRoD - he was determined that the boys would not become assassins and just keep their roles as incognito spies.

Riku, the spunky silver-haired bad boy of the group, always managed to make Terra laugh, even when he felt as though he would never laugh again. Having a troubled past, Riku had come to Terra after being fined in court for assault charges when a man had attacked Riku's girlfriend, and Riku joined the RoD for the chance to avenge the victims of thoughtless crimes. Terra decided that Riku would best be placed as ancillary to Terra in the event that Terra would find himself in a situation that he could not break free of. At all other times, Riku tracked the movement of enemies on his advanced computing systems, reporting where the teams marks where to Terra while he was on duty.

Riku, the third oldest, related well to Terra, understanding the solitary moments the brunette had, as well as the small furrow of Terra's brow, knowing that meant he felt pained. Riku looked out for Terra as much as Terra looked out for the rest of the group, making sure that as regretful as the brunette might feel, he knew that Riku was always there for him.

Sora, the second youngest of the group, being slightly older than Roxas, maintained the innocence of his cousin, but was not blind to the horrors of the world. He understood that being in RoD would lead to his demise, tearing away whatever innocence he had until there was naught but a shred of sanity left. Sora, alongside Terra, did his best to keep Roxas from being dragged into the madness of the mafia-like business that the group was known for. Sora was almost as good as Terra when it came to hiding emotion.

Terra loved the group, each boy owning a piece of his heart, but could not protect them forever. The corporation had already decided that Axel become an assassin, and it wouldn't be long until Riku would follow. The mere thought of the young boys being caught up in the whirlpool of sin made Terra's insides twist.

Terra retreated to his room to pack, willing the pain and sadness away to prepare for the vacation he had been awarded. He stuffed clothes into a suitcase and smiled grimly.

"_It's time for some fun!"_ Roxas had said. But Terra knew better: there's no time for fun when you're an assassin.

* * *

**The roles of the boys were based off of the games. Roxas was meant to be child like, because throughout the story he changes to become battle hardened. Sora was meant to be childish, but not like a child, because he's not ignorant as Roxas is in the beginning of KH2. **

**Yes, there shall be romance very soon! I made a mention to Terra's assignment, and that's where things come to a boil! :)**

**Review, please!**


	4. Video

**Next chapter! I liked the theme on this one, because it was kind of challenging to come up with a spy/assassin theme for 'Video'. But I like the way this turned out.**

**Just to elaborate: That is Terra and Aqua on the date. They go by aliases because it would be stupid to give their real names to total strangers. You have to have a kind of knowledge of Latin words and roots to understand their aliases. Sicaruis means Assassin, and Curiosi means 'spy, night watchmen, informer, secret police'. Also, Terra's last name 'Vires' comes from the latin word 'Vires' meaning physically strong.**

* * *

_*Video*_

"I accept," Aqua stated, her head high and her stance powerful. She narrowed her eyes, a look of determination on her fierce features.

"Very well. At ease." Aqua relaxed into her normal 'check' position, her feet in second position and her hands clasped in front of her waist. She listened to the remaining instructions of her mission, trying in vain to focus on the details given and not on the feeling of guilt and pain inside of her.

"You shall find one Terra Vires and track his movements. He is the commanding officer of the Higher Operations Team in the Realm of Darkness corporation, and is said to have a very deceptive, very strong team of five. According to sources, two of the newest recruits are young and inexperienced, never even having been on a mission before; take them out, and you will have a greater chance of attaining the X-blade."

"Elaborate on 'taking them out'," Aqua said, her eyebrows raised. She would be having none of _that._

"Do what you must," answered her instructor curtly. "Now, there are two others besides the captain, both of which are as experienced as your own girls. We have decided it best that your girls accompany on this mission, seeing as how they would be paired well against the men."

Aqua's blood ran cold and chills ran up her arms. "Wh.. What?"

The instructor repeated it as though Aqua had merely not heard her the first time. "Your team will be employed on this mission, each girl with her own assignment. The files will be waiting in the lobby. You know the code, Blockbuster."

Aqua struggled to contain herself and replied, "Yes ma'am. I'll see to it that those files are secured."

The instructor stood. "Attention, dismissed!"

Aqua promptly moved to her 'set' stance, her feet in first and her arms by her sides, slightly bent with her shoulders and chin up. "S.E.A."

"At ease. Good day, Aqua."

"Good day, ma'am."

* * *

She couldn't help the grumbling. With every step she took toward the video store, she grew more and more furious. Hadn't she accepted this mission to protect the girls!?

Aqua wiped the sweat off of her forehead, the blazing sun glaring down at her from above. She stomped along the pavement of the outside shopping mall. She cursed the cloudless sky and her lack of sunglasses as she picked up the pace, nearing her destination.

Just as she was nearing the Blockbuster, her flip-flop caught on a crack in the pavement, sending her forward. Her advanced training kicked in, and her excellent balance prevented a fall to the ground. Unfortunately, it did not prevent a collision with another shopper.

"What the-" the man froze halfway through his sentence, his eyes locked on the blue-haired girl's. "Oh, excuse me."

Aqua blushed and lowered her head slightly. "No, it's my fault. I should have been more careful." She felt captivated by the stormy color of the man's eyes as he watched her pick up her bag of clothes - props for her disguise - and readjust her purse.

The man tilted his head, the spiky brown locks of hair swaying across his cheekbones and kissing his almond colored skin. "Where are you going?" "Huh!?" Aqua asked in alarm. She'd always been wary of questions like that, being a spy and all.

The man blinked. "I asked where you were going. You seemed to be in a hurry, stumbling and then running into someone. Maybe I could accompany you."

Aqua lowered her eyelids, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. She knew she couldn't let him go with her to the video store, but refusing him would be suspicious - at least, that was the excuse Aqua gave herself to keep from refusing him - so she'd have to opt for another destination.

"I was just about to pick up a shipment of floral arrangements for a wedding, but I just remembered that the lady called and said she had already taken them to the bride. So, maybe lunch?"

The man grinned and extended his hand. "Name's Sicarius."

Aqua smiled and shook the brunette's hand. "Curiosi."

* * *

To say the two hit it off would be an understatement. Aqua had never been one for romance, knowing that the job she had required her to keep to herself, avoiding relationships of the personal nature. But she felt entitled to enjoy herself after all the hard work she'd done for Square Enix Agency. And something about this Sicarius guy just felt… right.

"And this wedding, it isn't yours is it?" Sicarius asked with a hint of amusement. Aqua smirked at him and playfully batted her eyes.

"Would you attend if it was?"

"Only to say I object," Sicarius answered, leaning forward over the table in the café where the two had decided to stop.

Aqua felt butterflies in her stomach and she bit her lip. She'd never felt this way before and it… scared her. "And why's that?"

"Come closer and I'll tell you."

Aqua smiled as their lips met softly, the cobalt-eyed brunette caressing her face as he deepened the kiss. Gently, the man pulled away, but still left naught but a few inches between their mouths. Aqua could taste the coffee on her lips, and her mind processed somewhere that she had not been the one to order coffee, but he had.

"Wow," Aqua stated, slightly dumbstruck that she had done that. She lifted a finger to her lips, her mouth unable to contain a smile.

"Yeah," Sicarius answered, his hands still ghosting through Aqua's ocean colored locks. "That was amazing."

"Mhm," Aqua answered. She felt the man's lips on hers once more and gave into the sensation. Her hands tangled in his hair and she moved further over the table and closer to him.

She pulled away finally, still smiling and whispered, "I think I could get used to that."

The man answered with a grin, "I know I could get used to that."

Aqua giggled slightly, feeling like a giddy school girl. In a way, though, she was, not having experienced such things before while in training.

"So, can I see you again, Curiosi?" Secarius asked his fingers entwined with Aqua's.

"I'd like that," Aqua replied before leaning in for one last kiss. When they parted, Aqua gave the man her number, but the one to her disposable phone that had been secured so that she couldn't be tracked. She smiled as he handed her a card that had his number also.

As Aqua left the café, the man called, "I had a good time. I'll call you."

Aqua smiled and retreated into the hot afternoon. "Can't wait."

* * *

Aqua raced through shelves of horror movies and thrillers, scanning the titles for one that stood out. Finally, she found the case that read _The XIIIth Order_, and scooped it up, heading toward the check out. She smiled at the lady and said, "Can I get that in Blu-Ray?"

The woman nodded with a knowing look in her eyes, and replied, "Will that be all, or can I interest you in a gift card?" Aqua replied, "Yes, a card will do just fine."

When the woman returned, she handed Aqua the movie and a small silver card, saying, "Have a nice day," as Aqua walked out.

Aqua opened the case to find the file encryption code printed on the DVD. She smirked, everyone knows that _The XIIIth Order_ isn't in Blu-Ray. It's one of the oldest videos in the horror movie genre.

Aqua opened the door to her car, sliding into the baby blue Prius. She grumbled about super spies always having sleek, black sports cars, but yet she got a nondescript hybrid. Something about, 'not calling attention' to herself. Whatever.

Aqua locked the car doors and pressed the hidden button below her seat, the windshield switching into computing mode. Codes flashed across the windows and Aqua slipped the disc into the CD player slot, waiting for the intel to load.

"Name: Aqua Stratos, captain of S.E.A.'s elite espionage team."

The system identified her, pulling up records before reply, "Hello, Agent Stratos. You're target is Terra Vires, captain of HOTRoD, the Higher Operations Team of the Realm of Darkness corporation. Scanning file now."

Aqua glanced up briefly from the road to view the file encryption, eliciting a gasp. "...Sicarius!?"

That was something no video could've prepared her for.

* * *

**So whadija think? I liked it! Now, I get to the reeaaalll fun :D It's time for Terra to figure it out! Muahahahaha!**


	5. Blood

**Okay, here's the next chapter! Ironically, I wrote this before Hawkrider's last review, and there _was_ a Mission Impossible mention in this chapter. Haha**

**Okay, so this one doesn't have 'Blood' per say, but it does have a blood theme. Oh wellz, you'll understand after reading! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_*Blood*_

"Okay, what happened?" Axel gave in, eyeing Terra's smirking features. Terra just grinned and flopped onto a couch, dumping the contents of his shopping bag onto a coffee table.

"Oh, you know, just the usual. I bought some stuff for the vacation and all."

Axel raised an eyebrow, his way of letting Terra know that he did not believe that story for one second. Axel knew something was up, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"What did you buy?" came a smooth voice from the doorway. Terra looked up to smile at the dashing silver-haired teen walking toward him. Sora followed closely behind Riku, curiosity bringing him to Terra.

Terra motioned to the coffee table and began to dive into one of the bags he brought back from his trip to the mall. "Well, I got us some new sunglasses."

Riku swooped in to grab a pair of Aviators – one of the better pairs, Terra noticed – and slid them on his face before making faces at the window.

"Stop flirting with yourself," Terra chided at Riku, and then tossed a pair of flame sunglasses to Axel. "I also bought a couple of cameras. I know how you like to take pictures, Roxas."

Said boy grinned in delight and picked up a camera, turning it different angles in examination before replying, "Thanks, Terra!"

The brunette then handed each boy a different driver's license, an alias in place of their real names and stated, "Keep these with you. You will answer to these names and these names only."

The boys nodded and took their respective I.D.s. Riku squinted at his picture, his nose scrunched up in distaste. "There's no way I'm that ugly."

Axel narrowed his emerald eyes at him. "Vain much?"

The men instantly began bickering, throwing insults at each other's appearances while Terra, Roxas, and Sora sat back to enjoy the show.

"Your hair's like a road-kill hedgehogs!"

"Road-kill hedgehogs!?"

"Yeah, like hedgehogs dipped in blood and glued on top of your thick skull!"

"Well at least I don't have grey hairs already, grandpa!"

"Grandpa!? My hair isn't grey, Flameo, it's silver for your information!"

"Well, for-your-infor-ma-tion, I take Flameo as a compliment!"

"Freak show!"

"Beauty queen!"

All of the men froze when Terra's name was called on the intercom. Terra glanced at Axel, his eyes wide with confusion.

Terra replied, "Yes?"

"Meet Master Eraqus in the conference room at once for your mission briefing."

"Yes, sir," Terra responded, his tone certain but his face quizzical.

When the intercom clicked off, Roxas asked, "But what about the vacation?"

Terra shrugged. "Maybe they'll still let me go before I have to leave."

Even as Terra marched through the white hallway and pressed the elevator button, he knew that they would let him go on this so-called 'vacation', for it was just an excuse to send Terra and his team into the field.

Terra knocked on the door twice before he was allowed entrance. Upon opening the door, he found Master Eraqus sitting beside a man who looked well into his sixties. The man had dark skin and a white goatee, most of his head being bald. The most stunning feature was the man's cat-like yellow eyes.

Terra didn't trust him for an instant.

"Ah, hello, Agent Terra," Eraqus greeted, his hands clasped together on the table. The man beside him eyed the assassin with mild interest, seeming to size the brunette up. Terra inwardly shuttered.

"Master Eraqus," Terra responded, bowing to his instructor.

"This is my good friend, Agent Xehanort. He's been in the 'Blade' field for quite some time now. We trained together when we were young, both aspiring to be Masters of the Keyblade."

Terra raised an eyebrow. The hell was a Keyblade?

Master Eraqus caught his expression and chuckled. "Ah, yes, it seems as though I have failed to inform you of RoD's studies in its science facility. You see, our sister agency, Door to Darkness, has been studying the effects of emotions on human memories. With the removal of emotions through a serum know as X-Blade, memories are distorted in subjects and can easily be manipulated. The X-Blade formula is very effective, and very valuable. It can be used to gain information we need from spies of enemy companies and world leaders."

"DTD, isn't that the company that Roxas came from?" Terra asked, his views of their 'studying subjects' already a negative one.

Eraqus seemed reluctant in answering yes, but did so anyway. "The X-Blade is the greatest form of Keyblade. A Keyblade is the basic use of memory confusion, using the Darkness extract from certain elements to create a way to almost separate the body from the mind and memories, harboring emotions deep inside until the person feels empty and void. These subjects are often called Nobodies. Heartless Elixirs can be given to the person in order to make them feel more 'whole', but it takes time for them to form their emotions once more."

"And what does this have to do with me?" Terra asked, unable to keep the venom from leaking through his words. The man was practically foaming at the mouth.

"There is an enemy company by the name of S.E.A., the Square Enix Agency. Their main goal is to stop the study of emotions and demolish agencies like RoD and DtD before we can further our research.

"The captain of the Beta Level Unit, Aqua Stratos, and her team of highly trained spies is currently after the X-Blade, wanting to destroy the formula and in turn, our research. Your objective is to intercept this team and finish the head spy for good."

"Finish?" Terra asked, already knowing the implications.

"Terra, you're an assassin, are you not?" Master Eraqus responded. Something in the man's old dark eyes read sadness and guilt, knowing that Terra would not have to agree to such drastic measures if not for their agreement years ago.

"Yes, sir," Terra replied.

"And, Terra, your team will accompany you on this mission. I told Roxas that it was a vacation of sorts."

Terra clenched his fist by his side, his knuckles going deathly white as he fought off a wave of rage. When the initial anger had passed, Terra replied, "Of course."

He bowed and saluted the two men before retreating from the conference room, the white hallway a stark contrast from the sleek metal design of assignment chamber.

He made his way to the end of the hall where the elevator waited. Terra pressed a button to bring him to the thirteenth floor, waiting for the door to open. As the light came on and the levels ticked off, Terra grew increasingly antsy. How could he agree to let the boys go on this mission? Shame shot through him.

When the doors finally slid open, Terra trudged onto the platform, waiting for the agonizingly slow doors to shut. He stood there for a moment, and a young secretary from Eraqus's floor ran in, her brown braid bouncing as she raced to get into the elevator. In her arms she carried a load of papers, weighing her nonexistent body down. Terra watched as she hit a button that signaled the third floor, her name tag flashing him. _Aerith, huh?_

The doors slid shut, and the awkward silence kicked in, as often it does when two are alone in an elevator, the only other sound being the jazzy elevator music playing in the background. Terra hated elevator music.

After a minute or so – given that the RoD building had fifty floors – Terra could no longer stand the saxophone and oboe duet that pounded his skull and the stress from the earlier conference was tearing at him. Finally, Terra snapped, slamming his white knuckles into the speaker behind him and effectively silencing the allegro music. The secretary flinched.

Terra glanced at Aerith, noticing that she has moved a good two feet away from him in the moments following his meltdown. This basically meant, she had pressed herself into the farthest wall of the elevator.

"Elevator music," Terra stated simply in innocence, pointing at the speaker that now had wires hanging from it and a static droning sound followed by the occasion wisp of a piano solo.

Terra sent a silent prayer of thanks to heaven, for at the moment, the elevator doors opened to the thirteenth floor and he exited onto the floor faster than he'd ever left the scene of a crime. That was what, some sort of new record?

The assassin moved through the white, labyrinth like halls until he came to his room. Fishing around in his pocket for a key, Terra glanced at the surveillance camera aimed at his door. A red light flashed.

_Always watchin', huh? _Terra thought, unlocking his door and stepping into his room. He moved towards the sleek glass table stationed at the kitchenette in his door, a file placed on the surface.

Terra opened it and moved into the living room area, flopping onto a brown leather couch to examine its contents. The windows that made up the entirety of his living room wall were opened, Terra noticed. He pulled the green curtains to hide him from view in case he was being watched before breaking the seal on the envelope. He pulled out a piece of paper.

_Agent Terra Vires: Captain of the Higher Operations Team of the Realm of Darkness corporation. _

_Mission Detail: Find and intercept Aqua Stratos and her élite espionage team. _

_Mission begins as soon as you depart for your 'vacation'. Take your team with you. This will be good experience for Roxas and Sora._

Terra growled, crumpling up the paper and tossing it in a wastebasket. He moved toward his fridge, grabbing a can of soda from inside before returning to the couch. He plopped down and grabbed a remote, turning the TV on to see if anything interesting was on.

"Hey, Mission Impossible," Terra stated with a grin. He'd always enjoyed watching shows about spies and assassins, knowing that the 'made for Hollywood' crap didn't ring true in his line of business. Though, he _had_ used some catchy lines from a few of the movies.

As the beginning theme started, Terra placed his soda down on an end table next to him, causing the file to fall from the arm of the couch to the floor. Terra noticed the shiny edge of a picture poking out of the sleeve, and he leaned down to retrieve it.

Terra pulled the photo out to examine it, and the image caused him to freeze in his tracks, his blood running cold.

The image was of a beautiful girl, her ocean-colored hair short and wavy and her azure eyes sparkling like the sky on a warm summer day. The caption read: Aqua Stratos, captain of the Beta Level Unit of Square Enix Agency.

_No!_ Terra thought. _Anyone but her._

It was no use, though. The girl he'd been ordered to kill was none other than Curiosi, the girl he'd taken out on a date, and even promised a second one to. He'd said he would call her not even two hours before, and now he was standing in his dorm with the orders to cease her existence.

_Please,_ Terra begged, _let me have anyone else's blood on my hands but hers! _

* * *

**So howz that for Blood? :) Drop a review, it fuels my ego! Lol, jk. Not gonna be vain like Riku... More like Kairi~**

**Hope you liked it! Also, if there's something you'd like written in here, i.e. a certain mission or an epic spy scene, just leave it in a review and I'll see what I can do!**


	6. Phone

**I'm freaking out bc the last chapter got a 10/10! AHHH, I feel so proud:D **

**Here's phone!**

* * *

_*Phone*_

"Is something wrong?" Larxene asked, leaning forward in the mirror to apply dark ruby lip-gloss. She tussled her hair and examined the black dress she'd put on.

"Hmm?" Aqua asked, distracted. Larxene glanced over at the girl, noticing how she sat on her bed, her azure eyes locked on the phone that sat on the nightstand.

Larxene exited the bathroom that the two girls shared and moved into their dorm's bedroom. "Blue, you've been staring at that damn phone for an hour now. What's his name?"

Aqua's head snapped up, and just her reaction to Larxene's statement was conformation enough for the spy to know that something was definitely up with her blue-haired roommate.

"You came back from picking up the files, and I couldn't tell if you were going to burst into song or burst into tears."

Aqua slumped forward, burying her face into her pillow before mumbling, "I don't know what his name is. I met this great guy and we had lunch, and he kissed me – my first kiss, mind you – and he said he was going to call!"

"And he hasn't," Larxene concluded, figuring out the girl's dilemma.

Aqua sat up. "That's just it! Every girl would _want_ a great guy to call her back! But… I found out that this 'great guy', is really the captain of HOTRoD."

Larxene's jaw dropped. "Sweetheart, you kissed Terra Vires!?"

Aqua shook her head. "NO! I kissed Sicarius, the alias of Terra Vires. I didn't know it was him. But now I do, and all I can hope for is that he _doesn't _call-"

RING!

Aqua jumped, and Larxene could literally see the girl's heart beat through her chest. Larxene gestured to the phone.

"You going to get that?"

Aqua shrugged, looking torn between jumping for joy or throwing the phone in the toilet. Finally, she stated, "It would be suspicious if I didn't answer it, wouldn't it?"

"You keep telling yourself that, darling," Larxene replied, turning back to the mirror to finish putting her make-up on.

She heard Aqua pick the phone up seconds later, followed by a quiet, "Hello?"

Aqua's face lit up immediately, and butterflies raced inside of her stomach as Sicar – Terra answered, "Hey, Cur, what's up?"

Aqua replied, "Nothing much. I just… went over to my sister's house to do some wedding cake tasting!"

Terra chuckled. "Hmm, which one was the best?"

"The coffee flavored one," Aqua giggled, then froze as she realized that she had so just flirted with Terra. Shouldn't she be trying to break it off?

"Wonder why that is?" Terra whispered.

Aqua blushed and answered, "Maybe because of you." When Aqua glanced up, she caught Larxene's disbelieving gaze from across the dorm. Aqua stood up from the bed and shut the door to the bathroom, effectively preventing further 'intrusion'.

There was a short pause on the other end of the phone. After a moment or so, Terra asked, "When can I see you again?"

Aqua glanced at her calendar. Inside, the smart, highly trained spy was crying _Never!, _but outwardly, she answered, "Whenever is good."

"Cool. How about next Friday?" Terra inquired.

"Sounds good!"

"Cool. I'll see you then," Terra stated.

"Okay," Aqua giggled. "Bye!"

As soon as the phone touched the receiver, Larxene flung the door open, her face dangerously angry-looking. "Aqua-"

"Aw, Larxene! I really liked him! Besides, now I've gotten at least half of my mission done! I don't have to track him; I can make him come to me. See, it's actually a very good situation. It can really be advantageous."

Larxene looked unconvinced, but Aqua added, "You always get romance. Now, the one time I meet a guy that I genuinely like, I'm forbidden to see him? For once, can't I just have something I want?"

Larxene bit her lip, but finally replied, "Okay, so long as you don't keep this up. You can see him a couple of times, but you know that eventually, you have to break it off. He's your target. And I'm only allowing this so that you can have an advantage in your mission."

Aqua practically squealed, flopping back down onto her bed with a large smile. Larxene realized how truly pathetic it was, Aqua having never been able to experience being in love. Now that she could, she was being told that boy was off-limits.

"Oh, Aqua," Larxene called, unplugging her straightener.

"Hm?"

"Stop staring at the phone. He's already called you; he's not going to call back in the next five minutes."

"Oh."

* * *

**Here's phone :) I can't wait til I post Phobia and save! They're by far my best chaps yet, I think. I still have two more chaps to go until then :(**

**The relationship will be explained better in Phobia and Save, so hopefully it'll make more since. TerraForceXIII was right in saying that they were moving a little too fast, so hopefully those chapters will make it all come together better :D**

**Hope you enjoyed! Review?**


	7. Traffic

**Okay, so I decided to post this one tonight, even though I updated a couple of hours ago. I'm in a really update-y mood!**

**Okay, so Riku's alias in her comes from the Phontetic spelling of the Japanese word meaning global/ and or terra firma Earth. Just thought I'd explain that. **

**This chapter was kind of difficult to write, unsure if I like how the theme turned out or not. How does traffic fit in to an assassin's life style? Hopefully you guys like it, though :D**

* * *

_*Traffic*_

Terra set the phone down on his night stand, looking up to see Riku entering his apartment. The teen seemed to have a certain goal in mind as he approached the brunette, his arms crossed.

"What's with the girl?" Riku asked, straightforward as ever.

Terra blushed and glanced away, muttering, "Just some girl."

Riku raised his eyebrows. "She didn't sound like 'just some girl' to me. You usually don't call those back."

Terra shrugged, reaching for his soda and taking a gulp of it to avoid further questions. Unfortunately, there was only so long you could gulp before your soda ran out.

"Some girl I met at the mall today," Terra finally admitted. Without thinking, he glanced at the picture of the B.L.U. S.E.A. captain.

Riku sat down on a chair, reclining in it in a lackadaisical manor. "Something you want to share with the class, Terra?"

Terra groaned, covering his eyes with his hands. "Not really, but I guess I should."

Riku motioned for Terra to go on, but the brunette added, "You might want to call Axel in for this one. It's kind of a... funny story?"

* * *

"YOU WHAT!?" Riku and Axel exclaimed simultaneously, their eyes narrowed at their captain.

Terra shrugged. "I really liked her."

"So you decided to make out with her on top of a café table, and then call her back? Knowing that you have to kill her!?"

Terra deadpanned, glaring at the silver-haired teen. "I didn't know at the time that she was the girl I was supposed to kill. And I didn't make-out with her on top of the café table. I kissed her across it."

Axel smacked Terra on the back of the head. "Details! Minor ones at that! Get it together, man. She's just another pretty face with long legs. Come on, you've seen enough of those."

Terra pouted. "She's not just another pretty face with long leg! She's real. Besides, she has a nice personality, and she's funny."

"So let her be a comedian!" Riku hissed. "That doesn't mean you get to sleep with the enemy!"

"Hey!" Terra cried. "Who said anything about 'sleeping' with her?"

Axel's emerald eyes flashed. "Well, maybe you if you don't break it off!"

Terra flinched. "I do hope you mean the relationship."

Axel shrugged in reply.

Riku slapped a hand to his forehead before seething, "Why don't we go out for a drive? It'll help you clear your mind."

Reluctantly, Terra agreed. As much as he hated to admit it, the guys were right. He couldn't continue seeing Aqua. Heck, he'd only ever seen the girl once - okay, well that was a lie; he'd seen her... before.

Nevertheless, it had to be nothing more than a stupid crush. At least, that's what Terra would try to convince himself it was.

* * *

"Oh yeah, real fun drive, Riku," Axel hissed sarcastically. "Get us stuck in friggin' traffic."

Riku turned around in the driver's seat to glare at the redhead. "I will stop this car, mister!"

Terra groaned. "Isn't it already stopped?"

It was true. The car had come to a stand-still, smack dab in the middle of the road, miles and miles of tail lights stretching beyond the men.

After ten minutes of sitting in silence – Terra almost wished Axel and Riku would start arguing again – Riku cried, "Well, I'm getting out!"

Axel unbuckled his seatbelt. "I'm going with you."

"Joy," Riku muttered under his breath as he put the car in park. Terra glanced out the window.

"How about we go see what the hold up is?"

Both Axel and Riku agreed – for once in their lives – and the group exited the car to travel through the traffic-filled streets that seemed to never end. After traveling at least two blocks from where their car was parked, they found the source of the problem.

A crowd of people had formed around a manhole, all whispering to each other with looks of worry on their faces. A group of reporters had gathered, their cameras aimed and their heavily made-up women speaking hurriedly into handheld mics.

Terra moved forward to see what the commotion was about, stunned to find none other than the blue-haired beauty leaning over the manhole, shouting down into the tunnel. When she glanced up, she seemed just as shocked as Terra had been to find each other there.

"Sicarius!" Aqua greeted, her eyes hiding pleasant surprise. Terra smiled at her.

"Hey, Curiosi. What's going on?" He knelt beside the girl, peering down into the dark cavern below.

"A girl fell into the manhole and got stuck below. She broke one of her legs, so we're trying to figure out how to get her out."

Riku and Axel appeared beside Terra, each recognizing the girl next to the brunette. Quickly, Terra filled the two in.

"Do you still have that rope from when you tried to build a tire swing?"

"Yeah," Axel replied to Terra. "It's in the car."

"Go get it," Terra ordered, glancing at the manhole. "The opening is too small for someone to go down and bring the girl back up, but Rik- Ji could go down and tie the rope around her waist, and we could hoist her up."

Riku nodded and Axel raced off to go back to the car. Riku knelt beside Aqua and Terra. "So… Sicarius, you know this girl?"

Terra nodded, grateful that Riku had paid attention to the alias that Aqua had referred to him as. "Yeah, she's my… um… Well, we went on a date earlier."

Aqua blushed and lowered her head, the look of disappointment not escaping Terra. At the time, though, Terra was hesitant to call her his girlfriend; after all, he was a professional assassin, not a hormonal adolescent.

Terra silently wondered if Aqua recognized him. He recognized her; she was someone he could never forget, never stop caring for. She was engraved in his past.

Seconds later, Axel reappeared with a length of rope, handing it over to Terra. Focusing on the task at hand, Terra helped Riku down the tunnel, handing the rope to him once he'd gotten to the bottom. He gently sat the girl up, tying the rope around her waist and patting her back. Terra thought Riku looked almost maternal, comforting the crying child.

When Riku climbed back up, he, along with Terra and Axel, gently pulled on the rope, lifting the girl up and out of the cave until Aqua could pick her up and lay her down on the ground. Paramedics swooped in soon after and set the little girl down on a stretcher, wheeling her away toward an ambulance.

Aqua approached Terra, her hands firmly clasped behind her back. "Thanks for your help."

Terra smiled. "I couldn't have left helpless child alone."

A funny look crossed Aqua's features, and Terra wondered if she was remembering. It _had_ been kind of a hint, not that he'd meant it to be. It just... slipped.

Terra watched as the girl waved goodbye to him, pivoting gracefully on her right heel before retreating into the dispersing traffic.

"Hey, look," Riku cried, "The traffic's clearing out!"

Terra smiled. "The traffic didn't bother me too much."

Riku slapped him on the back of the head. "Quit thinking about her!"

"…Sorry."

* * *

**Kay, so there it was. Trying to play up the Riku-Axel rivalry. Axel's a bit... cheeky, I think, and Riku's kind of brooding, even though he's like sixteen in this. I think they'd fight a lot if they were ever near each other enough.**

**Okay, next chapter is where it gets good! I cannot wait til I proof read and post! Ahh, it's my favorite :D It explains A LOT.**

**Hope you enjoyed~ Reviewz?**


	8. Phobia

**Okay, so this is the chapter that explains a lot :D Couldn't wait to post it, cause it makes the relationship kind of fall into place.**

**Thanks to all my reviewers! Hope everyone enjoys!**

* * *

_*Phobia*_

When Aqua arrived back at the company, she found Larxene waiting for her on the couch of the dorm, her arms crossed.

"Do you know how much threatening it took for S.E.A. to keep the reporters from putting the video footage of you on the news? A lot, Aqua! Not to mention, the company's not too happy to see you out there with their assassin target."

Aqua gulped. Why hadn't she been more careful? But, then again, she couldn't have just let the little girl sit at the bottom of a tunnel, waiting for someone to arrive and help her. When she responded this to Larxene, the blonde seemed nonplussed.

"You could so have let her there. I would've."

Aqua narrowed her eyes. "Well, unlike you, I'm not heartless."

Larxene rolled her eyes. "It's a cruel world out there, Blue. If you can't beat it, join it."

Aqua went to her room, slamming the door and shouting, "But I can beat it. That's the difference between you and me."

Aqua slumped onto her bed, laying on her stomach and burying her face in her arms. There was a knock on her door.

"What?" Aqua called, her voice muffled by the pillow. Larxene opened the door slowly, peeking her head in.

"Hey, Aqua. Can I talk to you?"

Aqua groaned. "'Bout what?"

Larxene entered the room, shutting the door behind her softly. She sat on the edge of Aqua's bed. "Look, I understand that you like this guy, but you've only ever seen him one – twice if you count the incident on the news."

"I know," Aqua replied, rolling over to stare at the ceiling. "I blame it on my lack of ever going on a date."

Larxene nodded. "Sweetie, that Terra kid's probably a player, and he tricks suckers like you all the time. You just fell for it quicker due to your lack of experience. But we both know that you can't keep seeing him. That should be relatively easy, though, because you've only just met."

Aqua nodded. "Should be easy, right? I mean, love at first sight doesn't _actually_ exist, right?"

Larxene gasped. "Oh, no, Aqua! Don't you go spouting out about true love at first sight! He's your target, and you just met. Slow down, schoolgirl."

Aqua smiled slightly. "It does sound nuts, doesn't it?"

Larxene nodded.

Aqua's face grew pensive, and she sat up slowly, her eyebrows knitted together. "Can I tell you something?"

Larxene touched the girl's shoulder, concern flashing in her turquoise eyes. "You know you can."

Aqua bit her lip, and then sighed. "I… I remember Terra."

Larxene's eyebrows shot up. "Blue, say what?"

Aqua pressed two fingers to her forehead. "When… I ran away… There was this boy… living in the streets." Aqua gasped, as if in pain, and held her head.

"Aqua! What's wrong?" Larxene pressed a hand to the girl's head, but there was no fever.

"The X-Blade!" Aqua gasped, her eyes welling up in tears. "They used it on me!"

Larxene pulled away, her mouth agape. "What are you talking about?"

"I came from… RoD! I got out, though. He… Terra got me out." Aqua's face broke out into a smile. "I've always… been afraid of my memories. They come in nightmares, usually. Nightmares from when DtD had captured me, experimenting on my memories and emotions. They used the X-Blade on me, tearing my memories away. It's always hurt to try to remember.

"But when I saw Sicarius, I knew. I knew that I'd met him before. He was the boy who helped me escape from the torture. I knew that I had to remember, no matter what t

he pain! And now, I do remember. And he's back. The boy I that dreamed about."

Larxene's eyes bore into Aqua. "So… you came here from Door to Darkness?"

Aqua nodded. "I guess I did."

Larxene paused. "But… I thought you said you ran away from home when you were fourteen?"

"I thought I had," Aqua admitted. "But it must have been the Blade serum." Aqua giggled and pressed her hands to her mouth. "But on the bright side, my mnemophobia's gone!"

"Mnemophobia?" Larxene questioned.

"The fear of memories," Aqua whispered, her hand still pressed her temple. "It doesn't hurt to remember anymore."

* * *

**So it's a bit short, but it's all I could manage in Phobia. Yeah, mnemophobia just kind of fit the whole 'X-Blade destroys memories' and Terra saves Aqua when they're kids. Which, btw, is something explained in Save :D**

**Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**


	9. Save

**Okay, I got a 10/10 on the last chapter! So happy! This chapter is like the last one, but in Terra's POV.**

**Thanks to all my reviewers, and hope everyone enjoys!**

* * *

_*Save*_

"I saved her for nothing," Terra murmured, turning on his side to burrow deeper into his forest green sheets. The moonlight filtering into his bedroom through the open window landed gracefully on Aqua's picture.

As much as he'd tried to forget, he couldn't. When he first laid eyes on her, or rather, bumped into her, he believed he was seeing a ghost. Hair the color of the ocean, eyes the color of the sky; he'd only ever seen a girl like that once before.

The little girl he'd befriended when he was living on the streets had hair like that. She had quickly become friends with Terra, for she was lonely. He liked the companionship, tired of being without family. She made him feel like there was someone he could talk to. Like he wasn't alone.

But it didn't last long. The girl came to him one day, her face red from crying. He hugged her tight and promised to protect her. They were all each other had.

But it was no use. She had to return home to her parents eventually. She loved her parents and her parents loved her, but some things could not be avoided. When the child turned seven, the government would obtain custody of her, forcing her to leave the care of her loving parents.

The day she turned seven, Terra cried. A man had come, his yellow eyes fierce as he demanded she be returned to her rightful 'owners'. He'd stood by, watching as her parents sobbed, embracing the child for all it was worth. Terra stepped forward.

For a seven-year old, he spoke brave words. Or, at least, that's what the man had told him.

"I'll go." And he had sealed the deal. The government could have Aqua for one year, for they would not negotiate whether Aqua would be released fully or not. At the end of the year, Terra would take the girl's place.

Master Eraqus had arrived at the house then, to oversee the operation. He felt a fatherly bond toward the boy that cared so deeply for his friend. Eraqus decided that the boy would train under him, and the girl would go to the science facility at DtD.

An assassin, Terra thought, glaring out his window. He made a poor bargain back then. But at least he'd saved Aqua.

Or had he, he wondered, staring at the file. To save a friend, only to kill her later.

"I… I'm sorry, Aqua," Terra whispered, his words lost in the howling wind.

"Why are you sorry?" Terra sat up in his bed, facing the direction of the voice.

"Master Eraqus!" Terra said in surprise. "I didn't see you there."

Eraqus chuckled, moving into the room to sit in a chair beside Terra's bed. "You realize that you are an assassin. You should be more observant."

Terra smiled. "I'll commit it to memory."

Master Eraqus glanced around the room, his eyes drawn to the picture of Aqua placed on an end table. "You remember her. I was afraid of that."

Terra lowered his head, staring at his bed spread. "I didn't remember her. If I had, I wouldn't have accepted the mission."

Master Eraqus sighed heavily. "Terra, son, you must put aside your feelings. As an assassin, you must be professional."

"I took her out on a date, today," Terra admitted sadly. "We kind of 'bumped' into each other on the street. I recognized her, but she gave me an alias. I gave her an alias, too. I don't think either of us realized that at the time, though."

Master Eraqus leaned forward. "Well, what happened?"

"I kissed her. A couple of times, actually. I promised to call her. Then I came back here, found out who she was, and called her back."

"What did you talk about?" Master Eraqus inquired.

"I asked her out Friday," Terra confessed. "Which was stupid."

"Yes, it was," Master Eraqus agreed. "But you did it anyway."

"I thought that maybe there could be another way! Maybe I could convince her to leave S.E.A. or something."

Master Eraqus shook his head. "You must not be naïve, Terra. You may be the captain of your team, but you are young and still have much to learn. There are some things that cannot be avoided."

Terra picked at a loose thread in his blanket. "I hate it."

Master Eraqus furrowed his brow. "I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about Terra."

Terra raised his gaze. "I hate it! I hate killing people! I joined this damn agency to save her, and now you're telling me that I have to murder her anyways!?"

Master Eraqus winced. "Terra, I could not have foreseen her joining our enemy company, Terra. I apologize that this must be done."

"But it didn't have to be this way!" Terra cried indignantly. "If it hadn't been for you, I would be having fun, being normal, not going around slaughtering people."

"If it hadn't been for me, you would have died! You would be suffering out on the streets, cold and hungry!" Eraqus glared back at Terra, but Terra would not falter.

"But I wouldn't have to kill her."

Master Eraqus stood up, moving toward the door. "Terra, don't be senseless. You've been doing this for years. Now some girl from the past pops up and you're letting all your hard work fly out the window."

"You're wrong," Terra whispered darkly. "If I kill her, all of my hard work will have gone out the window. Don't you see? I became an assassin to _protect_ her! If I kill her now, it will have been for nothing! I would have given up my life, my innocence, my happiness for _nothing!_"

Master Eraqus shook his head. "I'm truly sorry that it has come to this, Terra. I do see you as my son, and I want you to be happy. Unfortunately, your happiness will have to be on hold for the time being. This is in everyone's best interest."

"We're doing the world good, huh?" Terra murmured, but he didn't convince himself. How could an assassin be good for the world?

Terra waited until he could hear his dorm door close before he got up and moved to the window. He knew that Master Eraqus believed the work that RoD did was good for the world, and Terra believed it, too. But some of the – devices that the company resorted to seemed extreme.

"Can I save her?" Terra wondered aloud. "Or is it better to obey my orders?"

Terra didn't have the answer, but he'd never given up without a fight. He would find a way to somehow overcome this obstacle. He wouldn't let all of his efforts go to waste, not after losing eleven years of his life to murder.

"I'll saved you once, Aqua, and I'll save you again."

* * *

**Eraqus seems a lil OOC in this, but I actually based this scene off one from BBS; I got the idea from the scene where Master E wants to destroy Ven for the greater good, but Terra jumps in to protect. Luckily, I didn't let Eraqus die in this one ;)**

**Hope you enjoyed. If so, drop a review!**


	10. Challenge

**Okay, so I managed to fit in one last update before the weekend was over. Starting Monday, however, I will no longer be able to update for a while. I'll try to fit something in every now and then, but I can't promise anything.**

**Thank you to my reviewers! _ I'm not discontinuing.**

* * *

_*Challenge*_

"You have got to be joking," Kairi groaned, throwing a file on the coffee table. "This has got to be the dumbest thing they've made us do yet."

Naminé poked at piece of sweet and sour chicken, rolling it around in rice. "It's not that bad, Kai."

Kairi tilted her head toward Xion, her strawberry colored hair falling over her shoulder. "Xion, don't you agree?"

Xion kicked back on a couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table while declaring, "It's pretty out there. I dunno, Nam, I think Kairi might be right on this one."

Naminé shoveled a piece of chicken into her mouth. "Well, at least we don't have that Terra guy's job. That must be depressing."

Aqua stopped rifling through reports to look at Naminé. "What do you know about Terra?"

The petite blonde shrugged. "Kairi told me that he's an assassin that works for RoD. She said she read your file."

Aqua narrowed her eyes at the blushing redhead. "Kairi," She stated disapprovingly.

Kairi shrugged, applying a coat of pink chap stick to her full lips. "What? It was lying on your bed just begging to be read."

Aqua sighed, her shoulders moving. "Kairi."

Kairi laughed and flicked her hair. "Oh, come on! You gotta admit, he's hot."

It did not escape any of the girls when Aqua blushed and turned away. Xion leaned forward.

"Ooh, Aqua thinks her target's cute!"

Aqua shook her head. "Eat your chicken, Xion."

Xion shrugged and did as she was told, cramming her food into her mouth in a very unladylike fashion, and then chewing it exaggeratedly. Aqua exhaled slowly.

Kairi finished fluffing her hair before stating, "We have a new mission. And we don't get any prep or reconnaissance time."

Aqua nodded, telling the girl to go on.

"We need to infiltrate RoD. Tonight."

Aqua paused. "Oh?"

* * *

"All right, I'm here!" Aqua glanced up to see Larxene parading into the girls' conference room. She took her place at Aqua's right, the blue-haired girl sitting at the head of the table. "What's up?"

Aqua pushed a file into Larxene's hands, the blue prints to the RoD building inside along with a list of employees and other information. "Tonight we break into Realm of Darkness. There's been an information breach and some of our files have been lost to the company.

"Larxene, you will get us past the guards. We need you distract him – however you choose to distract him, I don't need details. As soon as he's not focused on his job, we will move into the back entrance near the south wing. Meet up with us later if possible

"Naminé, you will help us get I.D.s and clothing. In the event that Namine cannot 'convince' the workers to meet our needs, Xion, you will intervene and subdue the persons.

"Kairi, you will help to make us look like the I.D.s. We need to be convincing, which means there can be no room for flaws."

Each of the girls nodded, accepting their mission and their files accordingly. Aqua stood and addressed the girls. "Go to your rooms and prepare. Meet me in the parking garage in one hour."

* * *

The girls met Aqua at the elevator, Larxene leading the way. She'd definitely come dressed to be a distraction.

Aqua appraised her, deciding that the red dress and black heels would get the job done well. "Girls, are you ready?"

Kairi grinned, flashing pearly white teeth. "I'm always ready."

Xion and Naminé merely nodded. Aqua pulled out keys that she had received from the head of the company and aimed them at the rows of cars.

She heard a beep somewhere and followed the sound, arriving at… a sleek black sports car. And it looked like it came right out of a spy movie.

"Finally," Aqua murmured. She opened the door to the driver's side and climbed in, finding it to be equipped with their usual devices: USB storage plug-ins, file decrypting systems, GPS tracking components, and a wide variety of other machines.

Larxene slid in, calling, "Shotgun," only to be replied with mute groans from the younger girls that were forced to pile in to the back.

Aqua pushed the keys into their slot, turning on the ignition and throwing the car into reverse. She pulled out of the parking space and into the drive, racing away to the Realm of Darkness edifice.

Larxene turned in her seat to face the girls. "Kairi, in the event that you are apprehended by guards, what are you to do?"

Kairi sat up straight. "I am to call for back up, namely, Xion and Namine. If they are unable to come to my aid, I am to fight the attacker with the goal if subduing the person, not harming them. I am to hide them in some sort of secure place until Naminé is able to deal with their memory."

Larxene nodded, and then turned to Xion. "Xion, where do you go once Aqua has made it to the central security room?"

Xion replied, "I go to nearest ladies' bathroom and set up my laptop there. I use my decrypting device to find the back door to the secured files on the main user network."

"Yes, and I will download the files, placing a virus in the system once the files have been recovered," Aqua stated, her eyes on the road.

"Good," Larxene said, leaning back in her seat. "Then we better not screw this up."

Aqua pulled onto a side street, parking the car in an area with dense foliage. The girls climbed out, making their way along the street until the enemy building was in sight.

Aqua ushered the girls forward. Aqua ran at the tall fence that surrounded the perimeter of the building and lunged, soaring over the top of the metal and rolling onto the ground. The other girls followed suit, Xion tossing her bag to Larxene before jumping.

Larxene sauntered forward, appearing near the back entrance. A lone guard stood at the door, a gun slung over his arm.

Larxene strutted toward him, the slit in the dress showing off her long legs and creamy thighs. The guard glanced at her, doing a double take when he noticed the way she batted her eyelashes.

"Hello," Larxene greeted, her voice sultry. "I just left this building after having a conference, and I realized that I left my purse. Do you mind letting me through?"

The guard blinked. "Why not go to the front."

Larxene giggled. "There were no cute guards there."

The guard's eyebrows shot up, but he still wasn't that dumb. "Well, then I can call and have one of the guards bring it out here to you."

Larxene's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, no! You see, my ex-boyfriend is one of the guards here. I couldn't risk him seeing me. He's abusive."

The guard seemed to take interest in this. "But what makes you think that he wouldn't see you in there if you went in yourself?"

Larxene lowered her head, her shoulders rising in an innocent manner. "I was hoping a big strong guard like you would go with me. For protection, you know."

The guard looked torn, but his eyes practically fell out as Larxene's dress strap slid down, revealing far too much of the right portion of her chest. "Oops."

The guard glanced around, deciding that there were no threats in sight before stepping forward from his post, his eyes hungry.

"Well, little miss, I couldn't let something happen to you, could I?"

Larxene giggled, and then walked backwards, beckoning to the man with one finger. She drew him into a bushy area, hiding the two from view. Aqua counted to ten and then raced toward the door, grateful that Larxene had flung the man's pants over the bush, the keys falling out of the pocket.

Aqua scooped them up and Larxene burst out of the bush, pulling her strap up. The guard shot up, confusion on his face.

"What the-!?"

Xion appeared behind the half-naked man, pressing her finger to his pulse until he drifted off. Naminé covered the guard's eyes with her hand, fixing his memory while Aqua and Larxene worked to dress the man and place him back near the entrance.

Aqua unlocked the door with her keys, opening it slowly and quietly. A man who had been walking down the hall happened to look up, shouting, "Hey!"

Xion slid into him, knocking his head into a wall and effectively subduing the person. Aqua shoved the man into a utility closet and closed the door, sorting through keys until she found the one that locked the door.

The girls tiptoed through the hallways, hiding whenever someone would appear or exit a room. Finally, Aqua found group of women, motioning for Namine and Kairi to go.

Naminé was gone exactly two minutes before she came back sporting I.D.s and uniforms. The team switched out their clothes and hid the women in a dark room.

Kairi pulled her pack off and began sifting through makeup and wigs. She started with Aqua, using a dark base to cover her light complexion. She gave her dark green contacts, hiding the vibrant blue irises. Kairi continued, using an adhesive like substance to create more realistic features and eye liner to give Aqua the impression of having small eyes.

Larxene bypassed the ordeal, her job complete. She simply told Aqua that she would go wait in the car in case someone needed a quick getaway, and that she would monitor the girls' movements.

Kairi greeted Naminé next, changing her soft features into sharp and sultry ones, giving the girl red contacts and a dark-haired wig. Naminé became unrecognizable when Kairi finished.

Xion groaned as Kairi approached with her makeup case in tow. The redhead forced Xion to sit, which Xion did with a heavy amount of protesting. Eventually, Xion compromised, allowing Kairi to give her a wig, but not contacts. Reluctantly, Aqua agreed, and Xion placed blonde wig on her head, pulling the long tresses into a ponytail.

Aqua checked the hall before the group moved out, Aqua taking a left toward the main security room, while Naminé made her way toward the lobby. Xion took her place in the ladies restroom respectively, awaiting further instructions.

Pulling herself into a stall, Xion thanked the cleaning staff from the bottom of her heart, finding the stall to be incredibly clean. She sat down with her legs pulled up, making herself invisible in case someone were to enter. She pulled out her laptop and turned it on, waiting for it to load.

After a minute or two of file decrypting, Xion whispered, "Gotcha," watching in glee as a green light blinked on the plugin she had hooked up to her USB port. Rapidly, pictures, codes, and cryptic texts flew across the screen of Xion's laptop. The raven-haired girl licked her lips in anticipation.

Fingers flying, Xion broke through the security wall, which was not an easy feat. The anti-virus protection and the firewall proved to be a difficult obstacle in comparison to other company's network security.

A small beep sounded in the bathroom, echoing on the sterile white tiles. Xion held her breath, praying that no one was in the bathroom. _One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six… Seven… Eight… Nine… Clear._

Xion exhaled, her shoulders loosening in relief. Her dark blue eyes scanned the number codes, and she typed furiously, linking the S.E.A. network to RoD. Aqua should be able to make a connection.

The sound of a door opening caused Xion to start, her eyes wide in sudden apprehension. She clutched her equipment tighter and pulled her legs further into her body, trying to make herself as nonexistent as possible.

Xion listened to the sound of shoes on cold tile, waiting for the footsteps to fade. After an eternity of waiting, Xion still hadn't heard the person leave. Disquiet fell upon her.

Xion shifted ever-so slightly, trying to get a glimpse of the restroom through the miniscule crack in the stall. Someone stood beyond the door, obviously knowing that Xion occupied the stall. _Well, crap!_

The girl stood slowly, shoving her equipment into her bag as stealthily as possible. She unlocked the stall and then pressed her hands to the wall to support her body. The figure would be expecting Xion to bust through the door, but hopefully her tactic would take the person by surprise.

Propping her foot up on the toilet paper holder, Xion slammed her other foot into the stall door; the figure shot back, avoiding the door entirely, but then sped forward, expecting the girl to be standing in the stall. Xion prepared for that, thinking ahead. Instead, she'd used her momentum to grab the edge of the stall and prop herself up.

When the figure rushed her, she dropped from the top of the stall, mounting the person and sending them both tumbling toward the floor. The person's head smacked against the ground, and Xion's knees and hands smarted, leaving the small girl to bite her lip.

Xion glanced down at the person, not knowing what to expect. She had not, however, expected to find a handsome, silver-haired teen with electric turquoise eyes. The boy glared at her, but was unable to fight the girl off, probably due to the collision of his head and the tile.

"Who are you?" Xion demanded, pressing her hands to the boy's neck, choking him slightly. She used her knees to pin his arms, restricting his movements.

"I could ask you the same thing," the boy spat, his eyes full of hatred. "Intruder."

Xion pressed her hands further into the boy's neck, causing him to gasp. She narrowed her eyes. "Who. Are. You?"

The boy threw his legs up, locking his feet behind Xion's head. He slammed his foot into her skull and gripped her body between his legs, using her momentary disorientation to his advantage by throwing her backwards and off of him.

Scrambling up from the ground, the attacker grabbed Xion's body, throwing her against the restroom wall. He whipped out a knife and held it against her neck, hissing, "Who are you?"

Xion spat in the boy's eye, pushing against him. He gripped her waist and threw her back into the wall, harder than before. The sound of her skull making contact with the wall was sickening.

The boy pressed against her, his knee in her gut. His lips came close to hers as he jeered dangerously. "You have ten seconds to convince me not to kill you."

Xion gulped, the blade at her neck drawing a prick of blood as the skin pressed to the tip. Ten seconds?

Thinking fast, Xion shoved herself flush against the silver-haired boy's body, pressing her soft lips against his, she fisted her hands in the boy's moonlight colored hair. _Three… two… one…_

Xion yanked the boy's hair and used his surprise against him, as he was already pulling back from the girl. She shoved him backward and sprinted away, racing through the restroom door. She slammed it on her way out whipped her phone out, dialing Aqua's number.

"Xion, what is it?" Aqua's concerned voice answered. Xion risked a glance backward.

"No time. Did you get the files?"

"Yes," Aqua answered. "Report to Larxene at the south exit immediately."

Xion hung up and tossed the phone into her bag. As she made her way to the exit, she had to give herself a pat on the back for her impromptu Larxene move. Kisses really freaked guys out if the guy didn't initiate them, didn't they?

* * *

Riku flung the restroom door open, whipping his head left and right to scan for the girl who had attacked him. He cursed inwardly and took off toward the stairwell. He raced down the steps in the narrow corridor until he came to the first floor exit. On the glass pane on the door, a single red lipstick mark marred the otherwise crystal clear glass, a sarcastic way of flaunting that she had gotten the last word. Caustic little brat.

The azure-eyed, blonde haired girl was nowhere in sight, having gotten away before Riku could catch her. The kiss mocked as much.

Riku smirked as he examined the red kiss mark, thinking of how the girl had used such a kiss to distract and catch him off guard. "Is that a challenge, little girl?"

* * *

**Okay, so that's it for challenge. I tried to make it as 'mission like' as possible, even with as little time as I had. I also tried to go a little more into detail with Xion's personality in this, because it kind of centered around her character. I tried to make her seem snarky and mocking when Riku found that she left the kiss mark.**

**Anyways, hope you liked it! Leave a review, please!**


End file.
